Report of the Portfolio Committee on Basic
Education on the Official Release of the National Senior Certificate Results
for 2010, dated 8 February 2011.
The Portfolio
Committee on Basic Education, having participated in the official release of
the National Senior Certificate results for 2010, reports as follows:
1. Introduction
1.1
A delegation of the Portfolio Committee on Basic
Education undertook a visit to participate in the official release of the
National Senior Certificate results for 2010 on Thursday, 6 January 2011 at the
Union Buildings in
1.2
The delegation comprised the following members of the
Portfolio Committee on Basic Education: Hon H Malgas MP (ANC) (leader of the
delegation), Hon N Gina MP (ANC), Hon J Skosana MP (ANC), Hon M T Kubayi MP
(ANC) (Whip of the Committee), Hon W James MP (DA), Hon A Mda MP (Cope), Hon A
M Mpontshane MP (IFP) and Hon K J Dikobo MP (AZAPO).
1.3
The Ministry and Department of Basic Education
comprised: Ms A Motshekga: Minister of Basic Education, Mr E Surty: Deputy
Minister of Basic Education, Mr P B Soobrayan: Director-General - Basic Education, Mr S
Padayachee: Acting Deputy Director-General - Analysis of Data and Examination
Report, Dr S Sishi: Chief Director - Educational Measurement, Assessment and
Public Examination, Dr R Poliah: Director - FET Examinations and Assessment, Ms
K Sechoaro: NSC Report Writer - Monitoring the Release of Results, Mr P Ngubane:
NSC Report Writer - Monitoring the Release of Results, Dr M Ramoroka: NSC
Report Writer - Monitoring the Release of Results, Mr T Ngwenya: NSC Report
Writer - Monitoring the Release of Results, Mr M Cele: NSC Report Writer - Monitoring
the Release of Results, Mr W Venter: Deputy Director - Examination
Administration and IT Support, Ms L Maje: Provincial Liaison and Ms C
Kehologile: Formatting and Layout of NSC Report.
1.4
Members of staff who formed part of the delegation
included Mr L Mahada (Parliamentary Researcher) and Mr L Brown (Committee
Secretary).
2. Background
The national
examination system in
The finalisation
of the marking of the National Senior Certificate examinations in December 2010
culminates with an official announcement (broadcast live throughout the
country) of these results by the Minister of Basic Education. The Portfolio
Committee on Basic Education was invited to attend the official announcement of
the National Senior Certificate Examinations for 2010 at the Union Buildings in
3. Opening Remarks - Mr B Soobrayan, Director-General:
Basic Education
Mr
Soobrayan, in his opening remarks to all present, emphasised that the technical
briefing which would follow was embargoed until the official announcement by
the Minister of Basic Education. This was to ensure that the relevant
information was released simultaneously across the country. He urged those
present to practice some restraint in leaking any information disclosed at the
meeting. The order of proceedings was as follows:
·
Technical Briefing
·
Official Opening and Welcome
·
Address by the Minister of Basic Education
·
Media Conference
·
Closing Remarks
4. Technical
Briefing – Dr N Sishi, Head of National Examinations: Basic
Education
In his
introduction, Dr Sishi touched on the national system of examinations and
assessment, with experience gained and expertise developed as the task expanded
from the first five national question papers in 2001 to eleven national
question papers in 2007. He also mentioned that the “class of 2010” benefited
from the extensive assessment support material provided to teachers who were
then preparing the first cohort of learners for the National Senior Certificate
(NSC).
The Grade 12
NSC examinations were one of the instruments for measuring how government was
doing in discharging its responsibility of improving the quality of education.
Cause for concern was the gradual decline of the pass rate in the past three years.
Dr Sishi talked of the integrity of the national examinations and mentioned
that the reasons for the standardisation of results were to ensure that
learners were not duly/unduly advantaged by the fluctuation of results, that a
consistent quality is produced to mitigate the fluctuation of learners’
performance as a result of factors other than the learners’ performance.
In 2010 the
outcomes of the standardisation process were that out of a total of 58 subjects
presented for standardisation, the raw marks in 39 subjects were retained. In nine
subjects the marks were adjusted upwards and in ten subjects the marks were
adjusted downwards. The maximum mark adjustment of 10 percent was not applied
in any subject. All adjustments were below the 10 percent limit.
Dr Sishi
went on to produce charts with the necessary detailed information indicating:
·
the examination cycle
·
examination centres
·
quintile ranking
·
enrolments (Full-time and Part-time)
·
marking centres per province
·
overall national results (per gender, in different
categories)
·
overall performance in quintiles
·
overall subject performance
All of the
above was captured in detail in the Report on the National Senior Certificate
Examination Results, of which each member of the Committee had received a copy.
Dr Sishi
concluded his presentation by indicating that the supplementary examinations
would commence on 14 February 2011 and conclude on 24 March 2011.
5. Address
by Hon A Motshekga, Minister of Basic Education
After the
official opening, welcome and introductory remarks by the Deputy Minister of
Basic Education, Hon E Surty, the Hon A Motshekga, Minister of Basic Education
addressed the gathering. This address coincided and was synchronized with the
live broadcast across the country at 07:15am that morning.
Hon
Motshekga was pleased to announce that the national pass rate for the class of
2010 was 67.8 percent. It presented an impressive increase of 7.2 percent on
the 2009 results (60.6 percent), just 2.8 percent short of 10 percent.
Provincial pass rates were as follows (from highest to lowest):
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
Minister Motshekga
indicated that the improvements needed to be sustained and pushed for the 70
percent mark in 2011 and beyond. There were many schools that needed attention
and action. She pledged to continue to work with provinces to target districts
for special support, with a planned visit to Bohlabela (Bushbuckridge) before
the end of January 2011 to work out ways of providing more assistance to this
district. She also indicated that provinces would be requested to prepare
intervention strategies for all schools performing below the national average.
She
mentioned that the Department had produced “Action Plan to 2014: Towards the
Realisation of Schooling 2025” which specified clear outputs and
deliverables for 2011. There was a need to focus on putting plans into action,
evaluate, monitor and deepen accountability measures in the system. The
Department had also started a process of assessing learners at the different
exit points (Grades 3, 6 and 9) through Annual National Assessments in literacy
and numeracy that were internationally benchmarked. Annual National Assessments
would take place in February 2011. She thanked learners of the class of 2010
who had achieved well and encouraged them to do even better at the institutions
of higher learning. She reiterated that those who did not succeed should continue
to strive hard. They were encouraged to use the supplementary opportunities
provided by the Department to enable them to improve on what they have
presently achieved.
She
concluded with a message to the class of 2010 and a word of welcome to the
class of 2011. She also thanked all who gave support to the class of 2010. These
included business, media, SABC TV and radio stations, NGOs, faith-based
organisations, statutory bodies, unions, parents, teachers, families and communities.
6. Conclusion
The official
announcement by Minister Motshekga was followed by a media conference where the
Deputy Minister and Director-General fielded questions from the media present.
This was followed by final closing remarks by the Director-General who
concluded the proceedings for the day.
Report to be noted.